Cutter.



W. P. SHORTRIDGE.

CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12,1914.

1,133,753, Patented Max:130, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE rvuRm; PEIERS 60.1 !1010 LITHU \s'asumnxw 1* W. P. SHORTRIDGE.

CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1914.

1,1 33,753. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETE/"5 60.. PHOTO-LIYHQ. WASHINGTON D C.

I ToaZZ whom it may concern.

i ran srnfrns Barn rin.

WILLIAM P. SHORTRIDGE, OIFGRANFIELD, OKLAHOMAi' CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented. Mar. 30, 1915.

Application filed August 12, 1914. Serial No. 856,401.

7 Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. SHORT- moon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Granfield, in the county of Tillman and State of Oklahoma, have invented cer-' tain new and'useful Improvements in Outters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to Y make and use the same.

The primary'object of this invention is to provide a combination cutter of extremely simple and practical construction, which in one form will befound useful in topping corn, pruning trees et cetera; and which'in another form may be used as an ordinary knife for carving, slicing et cetera. t

' Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a cutter having a pair of pivoted handle bars between which operate a pair of pivoted blades.

The invention also aims to generally improve devices of this nature to render them more useful, practically and commercially desirable;

With these and other objects in View as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as Wlll be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. Y

For a complete understanding of. my in vention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cutter, Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lower cutter blade, Fig. 4 is a similar view of the upper blade, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the wire guard for the lower blade, Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing a lever extension .whichfmay be connectedto one of the handle bars of the cutter, Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane of line 77 of Fig. 6, Fig. 8'is a side elevation, showing how parts of the cutter may be omitted and the remainingparts used as an ordinary knife, Figs; 9, 10 and 11 are views illustrating different ways in which the lower blade may be connected to the lower handle bar.

-Referr1ng in detail to the drawings by numerals, l designates, as an entirety, the

lower handle bar of my improved cutter, said bar being formed preferably of a single piece of metal bent to provide curved side walls 2 and spaced parallel flanges or jaws 3, each of which is provided with a longitudinal series of openings 4. The bottom wall of the handle bar 1 is extended beyond the side walls, as indicated by the numeral 5, and the edges of the extended portion are turned upwardly and inwardly to provide sleeves 6 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

An upper handle bar 7 preferably formed of a single piece of metal having ears or extensions 8 is pivotally connected at one end to one end of the handle bar 1 by a screw bolt 9, said bolt extending through alined openings formed in the ears 8 and'side walls 2. A. spring 10 is held in position between the handle bars 1 and 7 by the screw bolts 9 and act to hold the bars normally in a spread position. The handle bar 7 is somewhat longer than the bar 1 and has secured to its inner side by means of a fastener 11,. a

handle bar. The upper blade 14 having a cutting edge 15 provided, for a portion of its length with teeth 16, is pivotally connected to the spring plate 12 by an ear 17 and pin 18. The ear is formed upon the upper edge of the blade adjacent the upper end thereof and extends through a longitudinal slot formed in the plate 12 and the pin 18 passes between the plate 12 and handle bar 7 and through; an opening formed in the car. It will be'noted upon reference to Fig. 1 that the plate 12 is bent away from the bar 7, as indicated by the numeral 19, to accommodate the pin. The blade 14 is formed with a pair of longitudinal slots 20, through one of which a pivot bolt 21 passes, said bolt being extended through a pair of the openings 4 formed in the jaws 3. The lower blade 22 is longer than the upper blade 14 and is formed with a plurality of openings 23, through any one ofwhichflthe pivot bolt 21 may be extended. The inner end of the blade 22 passes through a longitudinal slot 24 in the plate 12 and carries a-roller 25 which rides against the inner side of the handle bar 7 when said bar is forced toward the handle bar 1.

It will be apparent that when the two and the teeth '16 will cause a stalk or similar vents accidental injury bythe numeral 28.

used as an r connecting from theremain der of the device. As shown the handle bar 1 forms-the 20. The position of handle bar*7 and f'bar or extension 32.

. through I the bar.

being cut to rotate in a clockobject which is as viewed in Fig. 1, so that wise direction,

the point where the cutting action takes place is always as near the fulcrum or pivot olt 21 as possible. 14; relative to the blade 22 and the length of sweep of the blade 14 may be varied by running the pivot bolt 21 the blade 22 may also be adjusted by inserting the pivot bolt 21 through a different opening 23 and the position of the pivot bolt may also be changed, as will be apparent upon reference to Fig. 1. ']The handle bar 1 carries a cutter guard, generally designated 26, which extends across the outer end of the blade 22 and pre thereby. This'guard is of a somewhat U.-shaped formation, having arms 27 which are received in the sleeve .5 and which are bentupwardly and outwardly adjacent their free ends, asindicated The outwardly projecting portion of the arms extend through openings 29 formed in the side walls 2 of the handle bar 1. When it is desired to shift the guard longitudinally to accommodate it to a different position of the blade 22, the extremities which extend through the openings 29 are first pressed 1 inwardly, after which the guard may be shifted to any desired position. V

=1 Theupper handle bar 7 carries a thumb guard 30, andthe lower handle bar 1 carries asecuring strap 31 which goes across the hand .of the operator. l

Toprovidefor operating the cutterwith both hands, I employ extension handles 32 and 33 the former being carried by the the latterv being carried by the handle bar 1. The extension handle 32 has acylindrical portion spiral groove 35, and this cylindrical portion extends through a sleeve36 forming a part of the socket member, generally designated 37 The socket member is connected to the top of handle bar 7 by the fastener 11 and is further connected theretoby apair of ears 38 which are bent into engagement with the underside of said bar. As shown in Fi arranged spring 38 which engages the pe riphery of the cylindricalportion 34; of the The bar 33', a portion onlyof which is shown in the drawing, is connected to the bottom wall of the handle "bar 1 by a screw bolt 39 which extends a longitudinal, slot -10 formed in When the bar is used, the strap 31 is dispensed with.

In Fig. 8

I have shown how cutter I ordinary knife by disthe handle bar 7 and blade 14 in this figure, handle of the knife, and the blade 22 is rig- The-angle of the blade 1 through the inner slot 34: formed with a tioned blade,

7 the sleeve 36 is provided with an interior y idly secured between the jaws 3 a plurality of bolts 41. V V

9 I have shown the blade 22 in- 1 In Fig. verted with respect to the position shown in Fig. 8 and when thus arranged the ,lmife is especially adapted for use asaparingf' instrument. v I

In Figs. 10, and 11 I haveillus'trated other 7 positions in which the blade 22' may be secured.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparentthat I'have' provided a very simple and practical cutter, which is adapted for which is capable of various combinations. V r and described; the" preferred: embodiment of my, invention,: it

While I have shown various purposes and will be understood that various changes in "proportion, design and relative arrange ment of parts maybe made without departr ing from the scope and spirit of the in? vention as. claimed. r

. Having thus described invention, V

1. In acutter of thecharacter described, i

a pair of handlebars pivotally connected to claim each other at one end, a pivotpin extend-' ing transversely through one of said handle .9

bars, a blade connected to said pivot. pin,a second blade connected to the other bar'and formed with a-longitudinal slot to receive said pivot ping 2. In a cutter, otally connected to one another at one end,

a pair of handle bars one of the handle barsbeing formed with a a pair of inwardlyfacing Jaws, ablade ex- 1 tending between-said; jaws, a ,pivotpinex tending'through: the Jaws and blade, a sec-ff 0nd blade cohperating with said first men- I and means for pivotally con-j 'necting' the. second I mentioned blade-to the a the second mentioned blade being formed with-a longitudinal slotother handle bar,

through which the pivot pin passes. v 3., In a cutter of the character described,

a handlebar formedwlth apair of opposed Jaws, a blade-extending between said jaws,

means for securing the blade inpos ition and a-guard carried by the handle bar. and extending across theouter endof the blade. I

I 4. In a'icu'tterof the character: described,

'a handle bar formed with a pair of. opposed jaws each'provided with aseries of openings, a blade extendlng between said jaws,

' a fastening-member extendingrthroughscertain of said openings and-through the blade,

and a longitudinally adjustable guardcarried by thefhandle bar and extending across the outer end'of theblade.

. 5.1aa cutter of the characterf described, a handle b'arforin'ed with a pair of opposed jaws, "each formed with a series of. openin'g's, a blade extending between. said jaws havmg a series ofopenings, and 'a raste ing member extending through registering openings formed in the jaws and blade.

6. In a cutter of the character described, a pair of handle bars pivotally connected to one another to swing toward and away from each other, one of said bars being formed with a pair of opposed jaws, a blade extending between the jaws, a pivotpin extending through the jaws and blade, a second blade pivotally connected at one end to the other handle bar and formed with a longitudinal slot to receive said pivot pin, the inner end of the first mentioned blade being engaged by the inner face of the second mentioned arm when the arms are forced together.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM P. SHORTRIDGE. V l/Vitnesses:

G. P. JAoKsoN, J. M. SHORTRIDGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for flire cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IEatients Washington, D. 0. 

